What angular resolution is expected during New Horizon's flyby of Ultima Thule?












2














Ultima Thule is thought to be about 20 miles (30 km) across. However, I can't seem to find any detail about approach distance or typical image resolution of New Horizons in regards to the second target.



What I am interested in, is that Pluto is fairly larger as compared to Ultima Thule, we also knew a lot more about it before we got there. What meter/pixel resolution could we expect to get from such a small target?






probe imaging new-horizons







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  • Can you clarify the second paragraph? In particular, the third clause of the first sentence is confusing in context, seems out of place, and is a bit of a non sequitur.
    – Alex Hajnal
    4 mins ago
















2














Ultima Thule is thought to be about 20 miles (30 km) across. However, I can't seem to find any detail about approach distance or typical image resolution of New Horizons in regards to the second target.



What I am interested in, is that Pluto is fairly larger as compared to Ultima Thule, we also knew a lot more about it before we got there. What meter/pixel resolution could we expect to get from such a small target?






probe imaging new-horizons







share|improve this question









New contributor




TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.




















  • Can you clarify the second paragraph? In particular, the third clause of the first sentence is confusing in context, seems out of place, and is a bit of a non sequitur.
    – Alex Hajnal
    4 mins ago














2












2








2







Ultima Thule is thought to be about 20 miles (30 km) across. However, I can't seem to find any detail about approach distance or typical image resolution of New Horizons in regards to the second target.



What I am interested in, is that Pluto is fairly larger as compared to Ultima Thule, we also knew a lot more about it before we got there. What meter/pixel resolution could we expect to get from such a small target?






probe imaging new-horizons







share|improve this question









New contributor




TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Ultima Thule is thought to be about 20 miles (30 km) across. However, I can't seem to find any detail about approach distance or typical image resolution of New Horizons in regards to the second target.



What I am interested in, is that Pluto is fairly larger as compared to Ultima Thule, we also knew a lot more about it before we got there. What meter/pixel resolution could we expect to get from such a small target?






probe imaging new-horizons




probe imaging new-horizons






share|improve this question









New contributor




TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 8 mins ago









Alex Hajnal

908313




908313






New contributor




TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 1 hour ago









TheGeneral

1134




1134




New contributor




TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






TheGeneral is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












  • Can you clarify the second paragraph? In particular, the third clause of the first sentence is confusing in context, seems out of place, and is a bit of a non sequitur.
    – Alex Hajnal
    4 mins ago


















  • Can you clarify the second paragraph? In particular, the third clause of the first sentence is confusing in context, seems out of place, and is a bit of a non sequitur.
    – Alex Hajnal
    4 mins ago
















Can you clarify the second paragraph? In particular, the third clause of the first sentence is confusing in context, seems out of place, and is a bit of a non sequitur.
– Alex Hajnal
4 mins ago




Can you clarify the second paragraph? In particular, the third clause of the first sentence is confusing in context, seems out of place, and is a bit of a non sequitur.
– Alex Hajnal
4 mins ago










1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes


















3














I was gathering data to do the math and came across this:




New Horizons is planned to come within 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of 2014 MU69, three times closer than the spacecraft's earlier encounter with Pluto. Images with a resolution as fine as 30 m (98 ft) to 70 m (230 ft) are expected.[49[1]][62[2]]




Source: (486958) 2014 MU69, Wikipedia



Various estimates of 2014 MU69's diameter have been made:




  • 25–45 km 3

  • 30 km or binary pair of 15 to 20 km each 4

  • 30–45 km 5


Source: ibid, as cited




Note that "Ultima Thule" is currently just a nickname for 2014 MU69. As partially quoted on the above-linked Wikipedia page:




[W]e’re going to give 2014 MU69 [sic] a real name, rather than just the “license plate” designator it has now. The details of how we’ll name it are still being worked out, but NASA announced a few weeks back that it will involve a public naming contest. [6]




Another source7 adds:




After the flyby, NASA and the New Horizons team will choose a formal name to submit to the International Astronomical Union, based in part on whether MU69 [sic] is found to be a single body, a binary pair, or perhaps a system of multiple objects.





Citations:



1 Green, Jim (12 December 2017), New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt, 2017 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans: 12–15.

(PDF)



2 Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (2017), New Horizons Files Flight Plan for 2019 Flyby, 6 September 2017, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



3 Buie, Marc (15 October 2014), New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report, Space Telescope Science Institute, 23.

(PDF)



4 Bill Keeter (3 August 2017), New Horizons' Next Target Just Got a Lot More Interesting, NASA, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



5 Lakdawalla, Emily (15 October 2014), Finally! New Horizons has a second target, Planetary Society blog, Planetary Society, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



6 Stern, Alan (28 April 2017), No Sleeping Back on Earth!, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



7 Tricia Talbert (13 March 2018), New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.






share|improve this answer























  • Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
    – TheGeneral
    40 mins ago










  • Remarkable citation style.
    – Boosted Nub
    25 mins ago






  • 1




    @BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
    – Alex Hajnal
    25 mins ago













Your Answer





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1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes








1 Answer
1






active

oldest

votes









active

oldest

votes






active

oldest

votes









3














I was gathering data to do the math and came across this:




New Horizons is planned to come within 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of 2014 MU69, three times closer than the spacecraft's earlier encounter with Pluto. Images with a resolution as fine as 30 m (98 ft) to 70 m (230 ft) are expected.[49[1]][62[2]]




Source: (486958) 2014 MU69, Wikipedia



Various estimates of 2014 MU69's diameter have been made:




  • 25–45 km 3

  • 30 km or binary pair of 15 to 20 km each 4

  • 30–45 km 5


Source: ibid, as cited




Note that "Ultima Thule" is currently just a nickname for 2014 MU69. As partially quoted on the above-linked Wikipedia page:




[W]e’re going to give 2014 MU69 [sic] a real name, rather than just the “license plate” designator it has now. The details of how we’ll name it are still being worked out, but NASA announced a few weeks back that it will involve a public naming contest. [6]




Another source7 adds:




After the flyby, NASA and the New Horizons team will choose a formal name to submit to the International Astronomical Union, based in part on whether MU69 [sic] is found to be a single body, a binary pair, or perhaps a system of multiple objects.





Citations:



1 Green, Jim (12 December 2017), New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt, 2017 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans: 12–15.

(PDF)



2 Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (2017), New Horizons Files Flight Plan for 2019 Flyby, 6 September 2017, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



3 Buie, Marc (15 October 2014), New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report, Space Telescope Science Institute, 23.

(PDF)



4 Bill Keeter (3 August 2017), New Horizons' Next Target Just Got a Lot More Interesting, NASA, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



5 Lakdawalla, Emily (15 October 2014), Finally! New Horizons has a second target, Planetary Society blog, Planetary Society, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



6 Stern, Alan (28 April 2017), No Sleeping Back on Earth!, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



7 Tricia Talbert (13 March 2018), New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.






share|improve this answer























  • Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
    – TheGeneral
    40 mins ago










  • Remarkable citation style.
    – Boosted Nub
    25 mins ago






  • 1




    @BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
    – Alex Hajnal
    25 mins ago


















3














I was gathering data to do the math and came across this:




New Horizons is planned to come within 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of 2014 MU69, three times closer than the spacecraft's earlier encounter with Pluto. Images with a resolution as fine as 30 m (98 ft) to 70 m (230 ft) are expected.[49[1]][62[2]]




Source: (486958) 2014 MU69, Wikipedia



Various estimates of 2014 MU69's diameter have been made:




  • 25–45 km 3

  • 30 km or binary pair of 15 to 20 km each 4

  • 30–45 km 5


Source: ibid, as cited




Note that "Ultima Thule" is currently just a nickname for 2014 MU69. As partially quoted on the above-linked Wikipedia page:




[W]e’re going to give 2014 MU69 [sic] a real name, rather than just the “license plate” designator it has now. The details of how we’ll name it are still being worked out, but NASA announced a few weeks back that it will involve a public naming contest. [6]




Another source7 adds:




After the flyby, NASA and the New Horizons team will choose a formal name to submit to the International Astronomical Union, based in part on whether MU69 [sic] is found to be a single body, a binary pair, or perhaps a system of multiple objects.





Citations:



1 Green, Jim (12 December 2017), New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt, 2017 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans: 12–15.

(PDF)



2 Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (2017), New Horizons Files Flight Plan for 2019 Flyby, 6 September 2017, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



3 Buie, Marc (15 October 2014), New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report, Space Telescope Science Institute, 23.

(PDF)



4 Bill Keeter (3 August 2017), New Horizons' Next Target Just Got a Lot More Interesting, NASA, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



5 Lakdawalla, Emily (15 October 2014), Finally! New Horizons has a second target, Planetary Society blog, Planetary Society, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



6 Stern, Alan (28 April 2017), No Sleeping Back on Earth!, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



7 Tricia Talbert (13 March 2018), New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.






share|improve this answer























  • Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
    – TheGeneral
    40 mins ago










  • Remarkable citation style.
    – Boosted Nub
    25 mins ago






  • 1




    @BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
    – Alex Hajnal
    25 mins ago
















3












3








3






I was gathering data to do the math and came across this:




New Horizons is planned to come within 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of 2014 MU69, three times closer than the spacecraft's earlier encounter with Pluto. Images with a resolution as fine as 30 m (98 ft) to 70 m (230 ft) are expected.[49[1]][62[2]]




Source: (486958) 2014 MU69, Wikipedia



Various estimates of 2014 MU69's diameter have been made:




  • 25–45 km 3

  • 30 km or binary pair of 15 to 20 km each 4

  • 30–45 km 5


Source: ibid, as cited




Note that "Ultima Thule" is currently just a nickname for 2014 MU69. As partially quoted on the above-linked Wikipedia page:




[W]e’re going to give 2014 MU69 [sic] a real name, rather than just the “license plate” designator it has now. The details of how we’ll name it are still being worked out, but NASA announced a few weeks back that it will involve a public naming contest. [6]




Another source7 adds:




After the flyby, NASA and the New Horizons team will choose a formal name to submit to the International Astronomical Union, based in part on whether MU69 [sic] is found to be a single body, a binary pair, or perhaps a system of multiple objects.





Citations:



1 Green, Jim (12 December 2017), New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt, 2017 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans: 12–15.

(PDF)



2 Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (2017), New Horizons Files Flight Plan for 2019 Flyby, 6 September 2017, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



3 Buie, Marc (15 October 2014), New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report, Space Telescope Science Institute, 23.

(PDF)



4 Bill Keeter (3 August 2017), New Horizons' Next Target Just Got a Lot More Interesting, NASA, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



5 Lakdawalla, Emily (15 October 2014), Finally! New Horizons has a second target, Planetary Society blog, Planetary Society, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



6 Stern, Alan (28 April 2017), No Sleeping Back on Earth!, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



7 Tricia Talbert (13 March 2018), New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.






share|improve this answer














I was gathering data to do the math and came across this:




New Horizons is planned to come within 3,500 km (2,200 mi) of 2014 MU69, three times closer than the spacecraft's earlier encounter with Pluto. Images with a resolution as fine as 30 m (98 ft) to 70 m (230 ft) are expected.[49[1]][62[2]]




Source: (486958) 2014 MU69, Wikipedia



Various estimates of 2014 MU69's diameter have been made:




  • 25–45 km 3

  • 30 km or binary pair of 15 to 20 km each 4

  • 30–45 km 5


Source: ibid, as cited




Note that "Ultima Thule" is currently just a nickname for 2014 MU69. As partially quoted on the above-linked Wikipedia page:




[W]e’re going to give 2014 MU69 [sic] a real name, rather than just the “license plate” designator it has now. The details of how we’ll name it are still being worked out, but NASA announced a few weeks back that it will involve a public naming contest. [6]




Another source7 adds:




After the flyby, NASA and the New Horizons team will choose a formal name to submit to the International Astronomical Union, based in part on whether MU69 [sic] is found to be a single body, a binary pair, or perhaps a system of multiple objects.





Citations:



1 Green, Jim (12 December 2017), New Horizons Explores the Kuiper Belt, 2017 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in New Orleans: 12–15.

(PDF)



2 Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (2017), New Horizons Files Flight Plan for 2019 Flyby, 6 September 2017, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



3 Buie, Marc (15 October 2014), New Horizons HST KBO Search Results: Status Report, Space Telescope Science Institute, 23.

(PDF)



4 Bill Keeter (3 August 2017), New Horizons' Next Target Just Got a Lot More Interesting, NASA, web page, retrieved 2018-12-27.



5 Lakdawalla, Emily (15 October 2014), Finally! New Horizons has a second target, Planetary Society blog, Planetary Society, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



6 Stern, Alan (28 April 2017), No Sleeping Back on Earth!, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.



7 Tricia Talbert (13 March 2018), New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target, NASA, web page, retrieved 2017-12-27.







share|improve this answer














share|improve this answer



share|improve this answer








edited 30 mins ago

























answered 52 mins ago









Alex Hajnal

908313




908313












  • Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
    – TheGeneral
    40 mins ago










  • Remarkable citation style.
    – Boosted Nub
    25 mins ago






  • 1




    @BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
    – Alex Hajnal
    25 mins ago




















  • Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
    – TheGeneral
    40 mins ago










  • Remarkable citation style.
    – Boosted Nub
    25 mins ago






  • 1




    @BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
    – Alex Hajnal
    25 mins ago


















Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
– TheGeneral
40 mins ago




Thanks for that info, exactly what i was looking for!
– TheGeneral
40 mins ago












Remarkable citation style.
– Boosted Nub
25 mins ago




Remarkable citation style.
– Boosted Nub
25 mins ago




1




1




@BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
– Alex Hajnal
25 mins ago






@BoostedNub How so? You mean mixing inline and numbered citations? I don't consider Wikipedia authoritative so I typically don't provide full, formal citations when I reference it (just links and acknowledgement).
– Alex Hajnal
25 mins ago












TheGeneral is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.










draft saved

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TheGeneral is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.













TheGeneral is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.












TheGeneral is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
















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